The Campaign For DA

2.01.2013

Excerpt from Washington Post opinion piece: Sports games — some of the only events that lead Americans to set their differences aside and sit down and watch together — have become stages for large-scale patriotic theater. This is no accident; many of the militaristic rituals we see in stadiums and arenas across the country were deliberately designed to promote unity during times of crisis. But they’ve stuck around far longer than needed, making sports feel less like pastimes than pep rallies for our military or a particular war.It really isn't that hot in my opinion, but there is some yahoo on the radio in the background who is so angry that he is saying, "There used to be a time where the professor would be prosecuted for saying something like this!"

I wonder why we now play God Bless America at the 7th inning stretch of baseball games. If you don't stand up you are made to feel outcast. It is NOT the national anthem to which I proudly understand and respect the reason for its playing before the games. Do we really have to publicly display our patriotic feelings to be an AMERICAN.

This excessive patriotic/jingoistic behavior is reminiscent of some disparaged European countries in 20th century that we now refer to as fanatical. Now we seem to emulate their exaggerated nationalism and claim it's ok 'cause we're Americans and we're special.

Does anyone actually understand the words in these anthems and pledges? Note in the pledge where "...one nation under God, indivisible....". Then the same patriots promote secession (dividing) the country that they just "pledged" to. Arrest them for treason!

I'm sick of it too. I usually change to another channel until that crap is over. I have no pity for those of you who choose to live in and honor fear and fear-mongers. Way too many of even our local sons, daughters, husbands and wives were worthless losers who chose military service because they were so ignorant or stupid, they couldn't get a decent paying job stateside, then they come home and are still the wife beaters, child abusers, pill poppers or hateful people they always were. Once back from action or even menial military service they now lord themselves over on us every chance they get. What a pathetic lot we have become.

While patriotic displays and military tributes at sporting events are nice and are far from bothersome in my eyes, I wouldn't miss it if it went away tomorrow. Now go ahead and issue a warrant for my arrest so I can be prosecuted.

Wow 2:57 #1, anti-military much. I think it is clear that we need to have a military, and that means we need young men and women to sign up and serve. This does not make everyone that signs up "ignorant or stupid" as you suggest. I would imagine that most sign up to improve their situation, get money for school, and better themselves. This hardly makes them "worthless losers". Every segment of society produces "wife beaters, child abusers, pill poppers or hateful people" and I would say you fit nicely into that last catagory. I never served myself, but I work with a fair share of veterans, and none fit the labels you place on them.

The politicians are more to blame than anyone for the grandiose displays of patriotism, you should refocus your hatred toward them.

No matter how pathetic you think they are, they still signed up to potentially get shot or blown up for whatever war our politicians come up with next, and that is something that you or I cannot pass judgement on.

Just a part of conditioning society for statism. A good question was asked, I'll definitely say that. I'm fine with the national anthem before a big game. That's cool. Otherwise, save all the patriotism at sporting events for the Olympics. Doing it over and over again waters it down.

"Do we really have to publicly display our patriotic feelings to be an AMERICAN."

My answer: No. Feelings change like the wind. I know I'm not near as proud to be an American as I once was...

Many Americans are so ashamed at the behavior of our leaders, as well as our fellow Americans, that our patriotism is dying.

Label me what you will, but at least I'm being honest about my feelings.

And even though I will stand and sing "God Bless America" during the ball game, I wonder why He would, given our current level of disobedience.

It's much more difficult to be proud to be an American than it once was. It's also becoming harder to be proud to be a Christian, since it takes a servant's heart involving action, something we seldom see in our Christian-American culture.

I will keep asking, perservering and hoping that people will once again show brotherly love to one another; to help each other through our difficulties; to take action ourselves and stop thinking it's somebody else's responsibility.

That we would stop judging everyone else and focus on the solution, which is not sharing my opinion and criticizing, but taking action.

The smallest act of kindness is 1,000 times better than the greatest intention.

My father, a still-living 89-year old USAF (Retired) Lt. Colonel who served as a pilot in Germany, Japan and as a Korean War Mosquito (read up on those fellows folks, they were something else) was recently asked to participate in our local po-dunk festival of which this year’s parade theme was “Veterans, Then and Now”, or some such topic. A sweet little old lady called and asked me if we could provide any information about Dad’s service, “because my Dad had always been “her hero”. I asked him if he wanted me to put something together about his service time, and he said NO, not only NO, but HELL NO. He didn’t want any part in it. He NEVER talked about his time in the service to any of us through all those years. He said there was nothing to celebrate or honor, or to be proud of. He said he just did his job and that was it. And then he laid his head down on the kitchen counter and started bawling like a baby. I was utterly shocked. I tried to comfort him and asked why he was so upset. Through his tears, he said he couldn’t understand why HE made it back and others in his crew did not. And then he began to tell me things I had never heard before. So, to sum it up, I believe, like my father believes, that some things (military service-wise) are best left alone. We don’t need to “honor the veterans” every chance we get, because they CAN’T forget, and some things they experienced are STILL painful to them after all these years. Let it be, folks, just let it be.